Animal head form



March 30, 1937. J. N. NAULTY ANIMAL HEAD FORM Filed March 26, 1936 JAMES MNAl/LTY INVENTOR BY AT RNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the head forms used to give shape to animal furs.

These head forms should be relatively light in weight, flexible, so that they may be bent in various ways in forcing them into the head skin, resilient so that they will resume their shape and hold the skin properly stretched and so that they willyield in the handling of the completed fur. Coupled with such resiliency, they should be sufficiently firm and strong so that they will not collapse or crush either at the time of preparing the skin or in the subsequent use of the article.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a head form having the above and other desirable characteristics and which will be relatively inexpensive, adapted to be readily inserted in the skin, self-adjusting to properly fit the skin and constructed to readily receive and to securely hold the clamp which is usually applied to the finished animal head.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and broadly covered in the claims annexed.

The drawing illustrates a practical commercial embodiment of the invention, but it should be understood that the structure may be modified and changed in various ways all within the true intent and broad scope of the claims.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on sub- 35 stantially the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the article. Fig. 4 is a broken sectional detail on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views on 40 substantially the planes of lines 5-5 and 66 of Fig. 2.

One of the important special features of the invention is the construction of the form with a transverse frontal wall 1, of appreciable thickness and strength and extending uninterruptedly substantially from top to bottom of the article as indicated particularly in Figs. 2 and 4.

Projecting forwardly from the transverse wall 1, is a snout portion made up of a hollow rib 8, with flattened lateral projections 9, at the base of the same and a thin bottom wall I0, connecting the side portions 9, for a part of their length but terminating forwardly of the lower edge of wall 1, to leave a transverse slot l I, opening from 55 the bottom upwardly into the hollow snout.

This open bottom construction leaves the snout flexible enough for manipulation in inserting and fitting it in the head skin and the hollow rib backed up by the fairly heavy full height transverse wall gives the structure suflicient strength and stability to be forced fully into the nose portion of the skin.

From the upper edge portion of the frontal wall I, a thinner, arched skull forming wall l2, extends to the rear. is reinforced at the interior by an integral rib or bead l3, extending across the top of the frontal wall and rearwardly about the top portion of arched wall I2.

The transverse frontal wall I stifiens the structure transversely and closes off the hollow snout portion. The opening II in the bottom of the snout portion provides an entrance for the upper jaw of the spring clamp which is ordinarily used with a skull form of this type and the lower edge of the frontal wall acts more or less as a stop to hold the inserted jaw in place.

The lower edge of the transverse wall I is indicated as bevelled or forwardly tapered at M, toward the bottom opening II, to facilitate the entrance of the stick or tool, which is used for forcing the form into the skin and to operate with a wedge effect for opposing the withdrawal of the clamp jaw when that is inserted in place.

Fig. 4 shows how the artificial eyes I5, may be secured by forcing the pins of the same through the frontal wall and bending them over on the inside as indicated at IS.

The device may be readily molded at low cost in a single integral piece of rubber composition material and constructed as disclosed, it is desirably light and flexible and yet at the same time is sufficiently strong and durable for the intended purposes.

The usual more or less straight length clamps, such as employed in the trade may be used with the. form but, as indicated in Fig. 2, if desired, the upper jaw of the clamp may be angled or offset upwardly at 22, to pass up through the bottom slot l I and form an abrupt shoulder standing in front of the lower edge of the wall 1. Similarly, the rearward handle portion of the upper jaw may be offset upwardly as at 23, to form a shoulder standing in back of this wall. This clamp then is locked in position by the transverse wall against movement in either direction. By extending continuously all the way to the lower edge of the article, the transverse wall 1 forms a barrier preventing any stuffing material that may be used in the hollow skull por- This being light and thin tion. from passing into the hollow snout or interfering with the insertion oroperation of the clamp.

What is claimed is:

1. A form for the head skin of an animal fur, comprising a one piece integral hollow skull formation of a material having the characteristics of rubber and including an approximately vertical transverse frontal wall of substantially uniform thickness and extending continuously across the interior of the skull formation practically the full height of the article, a hollow snout portion projecting forwardly from said frontal wall and having a bottom wall with a transverse slot opening upwardly into the hollow snout, in front of said transverse substantially vertical frontal wall to receive the upper jaw of a holding clamp and a light flexible thin dome wall portion extending rearwardly in arched form from the upper part of said frontal wall.

2. A form for the head skin of an animal fur, comprising a one piece integral hollow skull formation of a material having the characteristics of rubber and including an approximately ver tical transverse frontal wall of substantially uniform thickness and extending continuously practically the full height of the article, a hollow snout portion projectingfrom said frontal wall and having a bottom wall separated from the lower. edge of the frontal wall by a space pro viding a bottom entrance up intothe hollow snout portion, in front of the substantially vertical frontal Wall for the upper jaw of a hold: ing clamp, a light flexible thin dome wall portion extending rearwardly in arched form from the upper part of said frontal wall and a reinforcement about the top of said arched thin wall dome portion for yieldingly holding the same to shape.

3. A form for the head skin of an animal fur, comprising a one piece integral hollow skull formation of a material having the characteristics of rubber and including an approximately vertical transverse frontal wall of substantially uniform thickness andextending continuously practically the full height of the article, a hollow snout portion projecting from said frontal wall and having a bottom wall separated from the lower edge of the frontal wall by aspace providing a bottom entrance up into the hollow snout portion, in front of the substantially vertical frontal wall for the upper jaw of a holding clamp, a lightfiexible thin dome wall portion extending rearwardly in arched form from the upper part of said frontal wall, the lower edge of said frontal wall being bevelled forwardly toward said bottom opening.

4. In combination, a form for the head skin of an animal fur, comprising an approximately vertical transverse frontal wall of substantially uniform thickness and extending continuously prac tically the full height of the article, a hollow snout portion projecting from said frontaLwall and having a bottom wall separated from the lower edge of the frontal wall by a space forming a bottom entrance up into the hollow snout portion and a clamp having an upper jaw formed with an upwardly ofiset portion disposed in said bottom opening in front of said frontal wall.

JAMES N. NAULTY. 

